City denies permit appeal after 18 years of delays

CARLSBAD —
A local nonprofit is in a fight with the city over building permits for a boxing
gymnasium for at-risk youths.

Frank
Sorino, president and CEO of Join Hands Save a Life, has been attempting to
construct the building
for nearly two decades at 3275 Roosevelt St. However, due to an all-volunteer
workforce, construction has suffered delays, setbacks and a lawsuit against the
city, which was dismissed.

The City
Council voted 4-0 (Mayor
Matt Hall was recused due to a conflict) to deny Sorino’s appeal to expire the
building permit.

The
original permit was issued in August 2001 and since then, Sorino said the
volunteer schedule was in conflict over the city’s required scheduling, thus
causing delays. In 2018, all electrical, plumbing, landscaping, subfloors were
installed, Sorino said.

A poster for local nonprofit boxing gym Join Hands Save a Life. Courtesy photo

He railed
against the city for its lack of notification using 2016 standards and not
informing him until last year.

“This is
like a fortress,” Sorino said. “This is going to be the safest building in
Carlsbad.”

He said
the building is 90 percent completed and the city is wasting time. In addition,
he said he has a professional plumber, who volunteered his time for the
installation, yet the city has yet to inspect it. Mike Peterson, the city’s
building official, disputed Sorino’s 90 percent claim of completion.

Sorino
also directed his wrath at Neighborhood and Services Director Debbie Fountain
for lying to the City Council in 2002 about the nonprofit’s application for a
Community Development Block Grant. He said she admitted, during a court
proceeding after filing a lawsuit, the nonprofit had turned over all
appropriate materials.

In
addition, he said the city maintained property liens from 2001-2006 for grant
funds never received. Join Hands received $60,000 in Community Development
Block Grant funds to acquire the property, with a lien against the property for
the money.

Construction
funds were an estimated $600,000, but the money was reallocated.

“The way
we’ve been treated is disgusting,” Sorino said. “They treat us like we’re the
enemy. If you’re not going to help us, at least get out of our way.”

Fountain,
though, said grant funds were provided over several years, but the conditions
called for liens. She said the federal government, which provides Community
Development Block Grant funds, directed the city to reallocate funds away from
Join Hands as they were not used in a timely manner.

In
addition, the construction work either had to be all volunteers or paid work,
not a combination, per the federal guidelines.

“We kept
extending their building permit to help them along,” Fountain said. “The
problem is, we never anticipated how long it was going to take. We were
aggressive and pointed in our instructions … and that he needed to get the
construction completed.”

She said
Sorino can file for new building plans from an architect for the interior, and get
a “final” permit for the exterior of the project. The new plans must be
compliant with new regulations and redesign the interior, but not require a
full demolition and rebuild.

In
addition, per federal regulations regarding the Community Development Block
Grant funds, Join Hands can still re-apply for those funds but must still file
a construction schedule using either all volunteer or paid workers and spend
the money in a “timely fashion.”

“We would
not have let the building permit go on for 18 years if we didn’t care about
helping to get this project done,” Fountain said. “This is the only project we
have with a building permit that is outstanding for 18 years. We want to make
sure we have a safe building.”

Since the
project was approved 17 years ago, there have been numerous code changes
including requiring fire sprinklers, California Green Building Standards are now
applicable, energy requirements are more stringent and disabled access
requirements are more restrictive, to name a few.

Councilman
Keith Blackburn said he couldn’t support the appeal, but would throw his
support behind pushing through new permits and requests for Community Development
Block Grant funds.

“I have
concern because it seems to be the city’s fault every time you turn around,”
Blackburn, adding it would be best if Sorino stepped aside from the management
of construction.